Yes, Former Villain
by Higurazel
Summary: Lackeyshipping (Isono X Crocketts) - Political AU - Isono and Crocketts as civil servants for rival parties meet each morning to get their work grievances off their chests.


It was a chilly morning, clear and unwelcome levels of crisp. From one of the bare trees that broke up the monotony of the street, a crow called out, fidgeting among the branches. It was shaping up to be a bitter winter.

Isono let out a long sigh, watching his breath steam up and mingle with the haze rising from his morning takeaway coffee. Work began in half an hour, and he would be damned if he stepped foot in that building early. These days it was more than he could stand being around those vacuous, out-of-touch monsters in Seto Kaiba's New Republic Party, tiny white dragon pins gleaming on their lapels. No, he was much happier sitting outside on a bench in the sub-zero outdoors. His sigh had turned into a groan, and he tried drowning it with coffee, burning his tongue just a little and deciding to ignore it. Burnt was preferable to frozen, that much was for certain.

There was a creak and a rustling next to him as his companion for the last countless number of mornings took his seat, arranging his briefcase in front of him just as Isono had done.

"Getting colder," Crocketts muttered, unscrewing the lid of his thermos flask. "Any worse than this and we'll end up getting snowed out of the building."

"I'm counting on it." Isono said, not turning to look at his fellow civil servant.

"Or snowed in."

"Don't even joke about that."

Crocketts smiled, leaning back on the bench and pouring himself a cap full of tea, gloved hand lingering over the flask for a moment, enjoying the warmth. He didn't often speak about his views on those he worked for, but Isono could only assume he was a kindred spirit, with as much quiet disdain for Pegasus Crawford's Democratic Capital Party as Isono had for his own higher-ups. It would make sense, given the time he spent dawdling outside each morning, just as Isono did.

"What have they got you working on now?" Crocketts said, sipping his tea.

"The same project as last time," Isono glared into his coffee, as if daring it to a fight. "Information gathering, social media farming, find out what the word is among young voters." His voice dropped and it sounded like he was close to vomiting. "You'd think a young leader like Kaiba would have a better grasp on what they wanted, right?"

"True, but you have seen his car, right?" Crocketts raised an eyebrow.

"That silver and blue monstrosity? I don't understand how anybody takes him seriously. Still, I suppose he's still got more of a chance than Pegasus-"

"The same Pegasus who leads the opinion polls by a huge margin?"

"The same Pegasus who spends meeting times watching cartoons. Yes, we've all seen it. It's cute now, but people are going to turn against the idea of a 'funny guy' in power quickly, you'll see."

The two of them fell into silence, sipping their drinks. A few commuters made their way past, the first early morning dregs oozing into work.

"It's more than likely that neither of them will get it, you know?" Crocketts said, tightening his scarf a little.

"And what, people will turn to those psychopaths in the D.O.M.A? They're quasi-religious scaremongers. Them and that fruit-loop they have in charge." It was a thought though. In recent years the bizarre splinter faction headed by "Ironheart" Dartz had been increasing in popularity. Desperate financial times had clearly resulted in people accepting the potential of desperate measures. Still, no politician who openly worshipped a giant snake could be too much of a threat, hopefully.

"Or they both could get it."

"A hung-parliament, you mean?"

Silence hung again, both men considering the idea of both Pegasus and Kaiba sharing control over the country, using their combined resources to shape the nation as they required. They both shuddered in unison, part from the cold and part from the horror of such a mental image.

Behind them both, a clock tower started striking for seven thirty, and seemingly out of nowhere a thousand civil servants, as grey faced as the morning, appeared and began to file into the offices of the two warring parties. Isono had always questioned the logic of having the headquarters so close together, but then there was no expecting logic in many of the decisions his superiors made.

"Looks like it's back in for another round." Crocketts sighed, screwing the lid back onto the flask and getting to his feet. Isono followed suit, trying to mask the displeasure on his face. He crushed the paper cup and dropped it in the nearby bin, pushing his sunglasses up his nose.

"Same time tomorrow?" He asked.

"Wouldn't miss it."

The two men nodded at one another, turned to their respective buildings and started the walk into the day's grind…


End file.
